Police armed with truncheons skirmished with protesters outside a central Amman mosque on Friday as demonstrations over rising fuel prices rocked this Western-backed Arab monarchy for a fourth straight day.

Scattered scuffles broke out between security forces and an agitated but predominantly peaceful crowd of about 4,000 people who rallied outside the capital’s Husseini Mosque after Friday prayers.

Many protesters chanted slogans demanding the ouster of King Abdullah II, the moderate monarch long regarded as a pillar of stability in the turbulent Middle East...

The country was relatively calm Friday evening as only a few hundred protesters returned to the streets in Amman and other major cities. Minor clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in the southern city of Tafileh after about 150 demonstrators attempted to march on the regional government headquarters. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd after several protesters began pelting them with stones.

Amman remained quiet as security forces prevented protesters from gathering near the Interior Ministry for a planned rally. Police also blocked a group of about 100 protesters from marching on the Royal Palace downtown.

The Friday protests had the backing of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan’s largest political movement...